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| Here We Stand | 
 enlarge | Artist: The Fratellis
Label: Interscope Records
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $2.70
You Save: $11.28 (81%)
New (48) Used (36) from $2.70
Avg. Customer Rating:  17 reviews
Sales Rank: 3035
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.4
MPN: 001137202
UPC: 602517741898
EAN: 0602517741898
ASIN: B0018TAFRK
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Still factory-sealed, case has lots of cracks/damage; CD guaranteed
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| Customer Reviews:
Even less good Fratellis is great June 22, 2008
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
As others have said, the songs are longer and not quite as crisp. But so what? Most of the songs went right from the CD to my workout playlist. Because in the end, what matters is that the Fratellis are the quintessential British band of this decade in the same way that Kings of Leon are the quintessential American band. Neither could be from the other country. The Fratellis come out of a rock tradition that is rooted in the British music hall, not the American south. They are the heirs of the Kinks, T-Rex, Slade, Oasis...highly melodic, highly rhythmic, insightful, funny, and just plain fun. Give me these guys over the world-weary Arctic Monkeys any day!
Costello Music tramples this album, but it's still pretty decent July 7, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Fratellis' most recent album, "Here We Stand," had much to live up to, given that their first EP "Costello Music" was one of the best alternative albums released in recent years in my opinion. So I wasn't surprised when I sampled "Here We Stand" because obviously they can't all be 5-star-albums. But it is decent, decent enough to not have completely ignored it amongst better recent albums in this genre. I would say if you really loved "Costello Music," it's worth buying "Here We Stand." If you are new to this band, I suggest buying "Costello Music" first.
Not the complete CD June 11, 2008
2 out of 7 found this review helpful
For some reason (which I refuse to give my opinion on) the US release does not include 'Jesus Stole My Baby', which is a good track. I wish had known before I ordered it (silly of me to assume I would be getting the full release) because I most likely would have ordered the UK release instead.
 Best Band in the past Ten Years June 17, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
First, and to be quite honest, I'm a Fratellis nut. I thought Costello Music was the best CD I've heard in years, and I mean about fifteen years. Every song had wicked catchy hooks, riffs, and chorus' that just "did it" for me.
This new album is also fantastic. I heard "Mistress Mabel" on youtube awhile ago and absolutely loved it. Now that I have the CD, I've listened to a few times over. On the first run-through, I thought it was pretty good. On the second time around, about eight songs really caught my ear. After the third time, I've already downloaded into my iPod and proclaim it a smashing success. I can't recommend an album higher.
I have no idea how the Fratellis are not more popular in the United States. At least I'll know that once they hit it big, I will take comfort knowing that I got in on the ground floor.
Favorites include "My Friend John", "Acid Jazz Singer", "Shameless", "Mistress Mabel", and "One Heady Tale". Go for it...you will not be disappointed.
Here they are June 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Fratellis are one of those Britpop bands exploding with energy and lovable roguishness, and that is basically what their debut album "Costello Music" was full of.
Which brings us to their sophomore offeering: "Here We Stand," an album of explosive laddish energy, late wild nights out on the town, and solid catchy riffs, just like their first one. The Glaswegians don't quite stick to a solid sound in this album, but diddle around with a few new styles and tempos -- there's shreds of alt-rock, blues-rock and hard-rock stuck in their Britpop.
They don't really add anything new to their sound -- it's all still bouncy guitar-laden Britpop -- but they diddle around with some other styles from time to time.
"Have you got a shape?" "Yes." "What shape would you be?"
With that odd little conversation, the band busts out into the rattling drums and rapidly blazing riffs of "My Brother John." It's a wild little song of "Saturday night in the year of the good thief," dumb blondes, wild night scenes, and "My friend John was a serious one/Buttoned up the back and a job half done/Lazy old boy when the good girls turn/His teeth get itchy and his rubber soles burn/When will he ever learn?"
They don't lose their momentum in "A Heady Tale," where the countryish guitars are tempered by a fierce, jangly piano and funny lyrics ("you know cold-blooded women make me sneeze"). And as the album winds on, they acquire a bit of a sunny alt-rock sound -- countryish ballads, breezy swaying rockers, fast-moving Britpop, and burning guitarpop. And they finish it off with the smooth, plaintive "Lupe Brown," and a wash of gentle piano that switches midsong into a smashing cascade of guitars.
But they do start to falter a little in the stompy, clumpy "Shameless" and the uneven, uncertain "Tell Me A Lie." Both songs seem to be a foray into harder rock'n'roll, but it feels like they overcrammed the songs with bass and electric riffs. They're far more successful with the more complex melody of "Acid Jazz Singer."
The core of the Fratellis' music has not really changed -- their songs are short, snappy and brimming with lots of pep, and lyrics about drinking, girls and the life of a band. "Here We Stand" is pretty clearly intended to be a fun, not terribly deep listen, and the Fratellis succeed magnificently in that corner -- although it lacks a cohesive sound all the way through. A little experiment here, a little influence there.
Guitars still dominate their music -- they make up most of the instrumentation, and keep everything catchy and nimble. Steely, acoustic, cycling, sharp dancy melodies and blazing electric riffs are spattered liberally all over the album, sometimes woven in with some bass. Solid drums back virtually everything, and occasionally they twine in some jangly piano and weird distortion.
And Jon Fratelli always sounds like a nice boy who's just gotten over a broken heart and a hangover -- his voice is strong but a little rough. And he sings songs that are cleverer and tighter than any previous Fratellis songs ("They got yesterday's heroes and last night clothes/You're a game old boy judging by the way you walk"). And they're full of worn-out acid jazz singers, "Mistress Mabel," and thieving gypsy women.
"Here We Are" is the sound of a band figuring out what they want to be when they grow up, and providing a little entertaining music along the way. Worth hearing, but hopefully leading on to something even better.
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